Do you ever stop to look at your dog and wonder why they are so good to you? Why is it that every morning they jump on your bed and lick your face in excitement of the new day? When you come home from work, they are always there, jumping and ready to love you because you are their favorite person. Why do we deserve dogs? This unconditional love they give us is something we as people to need give to others. As I sit here writing this article with my dog in my lap, I stop and wonder what we would do without them.
Without dogs, the world would be a lonely place. When you've had a hard day and you just want to go home and cry, that wagging tail is always there, ready to make you smile. When you fall and scratch your knee, your dog is there ready to lick your wound and lift you back up. This act of love is a parallel to how Christ loves us.
When we fall, Christ is there to lift us up. When we've had a hard day, He is there ready to take us in His arms and tell us everything is going to be okay. When we wake up in the morning, Christ is right there, excited to start the day with you.
Another thing dogs teach us is how to love others. Our dogs love us unconditionally, just like the Bible tells us to. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. We need to love people the same way dogs love us. They know no evil, they live without fear. They know we are there to protect and nurture them, just as we need to do for our neighbors. Christ is there for us, ready to nurture and guide us. Why do we live in fear? When God asks us to do something, why do we bury our heads in the sand and pretend not to hear Him?
When we call our dog, they come running. When we tell them to stay, they stay. They trust that we are doing what is best for them. They know that we will feed them when they are hungry. Christ provides for us as we provide for our dogs. When we are in need, He provides. When we are hungry, He feeds us. Why is it that we still live in fear? We have to learn to trust in Him as our dogs trust in us.
Behind those wagging tails and fluffy ears, there is a heart that loves us for who we are. Our dog doesn't care that we wake up with our hair plastered to our face. They don't care if we've had a bad day at work because they are there to make us feel better. If we are sick, they will stay with you and provide comfort. Our dogs are examples of Christ. We need to follow their example and live our lives without fear. We have to love our neighbors unconditionally, even when they do things we do not like. Every morning, we need to wake up excited for the day ahead. Our dogs are there to love us, now we have to go out and give that same unconditional love to others.
